Learn about barbless hooks and why these hooks can be useful when practicing catch and release fishing. Find out how barbless fishing hooks contribute to conservation.
If you are new to fishing, this might be the first time you have heard about barbless hooks and you may not know exactly what they are. Barbless hooks are simply hooks that do not have the small v-shaped metal piece at the pointed end of the hook that points in the opposite direction of the sharp pointed tip. Some hooks can be purchased without the barb, but you can also crimp down the barb on any standard barbed hook using a pair of flat-nosed pliers to make it barbless.
Since it's important to help conserve our fish populations for future generations, more and more anglers are making the decision to use barbless fishing hooks instead of barbed hooks. Hooks without barbs are far better to use for catch and release fishing because they greatly reduce the chance of causing injury the fish. This may not matter if the fish is within the state regulations and you plan to take it home for dinner, but it can make a difference in the survival rates of any fish that you release.
Treble hooks without barbs can be used to replace the treble hooks with barbs that often come attached to most lures. It doesn't matter if you want to use a topwater hard bait, crankbait, or spoon, most barbed treble hooks can easily be replaced using a pair of split ring pliers. Whether you fish with a barbless treble hook or a barbless single hook, both are good choices when you plan to practice catch and release fishing.
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